Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods will play his first official tournament next week, nearly 10 months to the day of the single-car crash in California that nearly cost him his right leg. 

In a statement on Twitter, Woods announced he will play at the PNC Championship starting on Dec. 16 alongside his son, Charlie. 

Although it’s been a long and challenging year, I am very excited to close it out by competing in the @PNCchampionship with my son Charlie. I’m playing as a Dad and couldn’t be more excited and proud.

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) December 8, 2021

Woods was involved in a single car crash on Feb. 23 that required him to undergo surgery to repair "significant orthopaedic injuries" to his lower right leg and ankle. 

Speaking to reporters last week leading up to the Hero World Challenge, Woods acknowledged he wants to play on the PGA Tour again even though he doesn't "have any desire" to be a full-time member of the circuit: 

I don’t foresee this leg ever being what it used to be, hence I’ll never have the back what it used to be, and the clock’s ticking. I’m getting older; I’m not getting any younger. All that combined means that a full schedule and a full practice schedule and the recovery that it would take to do that, no, I don’t have any desire to do that. But to ramp up a few events a year ... there’s no reason that I can’t do that and feel ready.

This will mark the second consecutive appearance at the PNC Championship for the Woods duo. They finished seventh in last year's tournament, but Charlie stole the show with an eagle on the par-five third hole. 

Father and son teaming up.

Tiger and Charlie Woods make eagle 🤝

(via @PGATOUR) pic.twitter.com/qFBLzIG1JN

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 19, 2020

The PNC Championship is a good event for Woods to test himself on the course. The 36-hole tournament is played over two days and features two-player teams primarily made up of a father and son, but it can be any family member of the player's choice. 

Players are permitted to use carts to get on the course. 

In order to be eligible for the event, the player has to have won either one of the four major tournaments or the Players Championship in their career. 

The 2021 PNC Championship will take place from Dec. 18-19 at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, Florida.     

Before the start of the 2021 Hero World Challenge, Tiger Woods was out on the course taking full practice swings. 

The PGA Tour tweeted out video of Woods hitting golf balls from Wednesday night:

Full swing Woods. pic.twitter.com/oTAoL7eeCa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 2, 2021

Thursday's practice session comes on the heels of Woods tweeting out a video of himself hitting with an iron on Nov. 21 that was captioned "making progress."

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

There's no indication at this point when Woods might return to play an official PGA Tour event. He is still in the process of recovering from a single-car crash in February that required emergency surgery to repair compound fractures in the tibia and fibula in his right leg. 

In a Nov. 29 interview with Dan Rapaport of Golf Digest, Woods said he will "never" be a full-time player on the PGA Tour again.

"I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day—never full time, ever again—but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did. Pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that," he explained. 

Woods is currently in the Bahamas to host the Hero World Challenge. The tournament, which benefits his charity foundation, began on Thursday. 

The 45-year-old's last tournament appearance was at the Masters in November 2020. He finished 38th overall. 

Speaking publicly for the first time since his February car crash, Tiger Woods addressed a variety of topics about his recovery and future on Tuesday. 

Woods, who is in the Bahamas hosting the Hero World Challenge starting on Thursday, told reporters this recovery process "has been much more difficult" for him than in the past when he's had leg surgery. 

"The knee stuff, that's one level," he explained. "With the leg, it's hard to explain how difficult this has been. ... It's been a lot of hard work. ... There were some tough times in there."

Woods noted his children have been more familiar with him being injured than playing golf:

My kids have seen me more injured than healthy. Played call of duty when they were at school. Masters was an important binding moment for all of us. Do activities with them now, talk to them and see them grow up. @TigerWoods @WIONews

— Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) November 30, 2021

The 15-time major champion was open about how close he came to losing his leg, or worse, as a result of the crash. 

"I'm lucky to be alive and to still have the limb," Woods said. "I'm very grateful that someone upstairs was taking care of me ... (Amputation) was on the table.

Woods added he hasn't decided if he will return to the PGA Tour at some point, noting there's still a long way to go in his rehab. 

Woods was involved in a single-car crash in California on Feb. 23. 

An official told Dan Mangan of CNBC that Woods "likely survived the single-car crash because the interior of the SUV remained intact."

In a statement released through Woods' official social media on Feb. 24, Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief medical officer and interim CEO at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said the 45-year-old "suffered significant orthopaedic injuries," including compound fractures to his fibula and tibia in his right leg that had to be stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia. 

Last week, Woods posted a video on Twitter showing him hitting golf balls on a fairway:

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

During Tuesday's press conference, Woods addressed where things are with his game now that he's been able to get back on the course in some capacity. 

To see some of my shots fall out of the sky a lot shorter than they used to is a little eye opening, but at least I’m able to do it again. That’s something that for a while there didn’t look like I was going to. I’m able to participate in the sport of golf, now, to what level? I do not know. The clock’s ticking, I’m not getting any younger.

Woods' last appearance in a PGA Tour event was at the Masters in November 2020. He finished tied for 38th with a score of one-under par.

His last victory was at the 2019 Masters, giving him 15 major titles for his career. Only Jack Nicklaus has more career wins in major tournaments (18) than Woods.     

Tiger Woods' time as a full-time golfer on the PGA Tour is apparently over even as he recovers from serious injuries suffered in a February car crash.

The all-time great revealed as much during an interview with Henni Koyack of Golf Digest:

I think something that is realistic is playing the tour one day—never full time, ever again—but pick and choose, just like Mr. [Ben] Hogan did. Pick and choose a few events a year and you play around that. You practice around that, and you gear yourself up for that. I think that's how I'm going to have to play it from now on. It's an unfortunate reality, but it's my reality. And I understand it, and I accept it.

Woods, who has also undergone five back surgeries, opened up about the recovery process during the interview.

The 45-year-old said it was "damn near" a 50 percent chance he would lose his right leg to amputation at one point after he suffered open fractures to both the tibia and the fibula as a result of losing control of his car in February.

The 15-time major champion spent three weeks in the hospital and time on a hospital-type bed in his house before eventually progressing to a wheelchair and then crutches.

Earlier this month, he posted video of himself hitting a shot with an iron with the caption "making progress":        

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

Still, he cautioned he is "not even at the halfway point" to a return to the course as he works on regaining his strength and dealing with lingering back concerns from the multiple surgeries as well.

Woods also doesn't feel as if he has to further prove himself any longer and instead is eyeing a return to an occasional tournament:

I don't have to compete and play against the best players in the world to have a great life. After my back fusion, I had to climb Mt. Everest one more time. I had to do it, and I did. This time around, I don't think I'll have the body to climb Mt. Everest, and that's OK. I can still participate in the game of golf. I can still, if my leg gets OK, I can still click off a tournament here or there. But as far as climbing the mountain again and getting all the way to the top, I don't think that's a realistic expectation of me.

There is no doubting Woods' status as one of the greatest golfers in the sport's history.

The storyline was often Tiger versus the field during his prime, and he had a way of dominating the course to the point there was little hope for anyone else if he was dialed in during the Sunday of a major tournament.

In all, Woods has won 82 tournaments and 15 major championships. His 82 PGA Tour victories are tied with Sam Snead for the most in the history of the sport.

While his back surgeries cut into his prime and likely cost him more Tour victories, he was still able to battle back and win his 15th major title and fifth green jacket during an unforgettable Masters in 2019:        

Tiger Woods has won the Masters.

His 81st PGA TOUR win.
His 15th major title.
His 5th green jacket.#LiveUnderPar https://t.co/xC8165hypE

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 14, 2019

While there may not be such a comeback in store this time around, he said he is motivated by the possibility of playing alongside his 12-year-old son Charlie and is working his way back to the course.

Even if it won't be full-time.       

The fifth edition of Capital One's The Match could reasonably be called The Grudge Match. When Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka face off Friday, it will mark the most intimate chapter of one of golf's most heated rivalries.

The back-and-forth between these two has gone on since 2019, and while DeChambeau and Koepka engaged in a post-match hug following Team USA's win at the Ryder Cup, their feud is very much alive and well.

"There wasn't an apology or anything like that," DeChambeau said, per Christopher Powers of Golf Digest. "Until I get an apology for what he's said and what not, nothing will change. This is all real on my end."

According to DeChambeau, The Match will provide the perfect venue to settle things—if perhaps not for once and for all.

"With all that's gone on the last two years, eventually it was going to come to this," Koepka said, per Powers. "That way, somebody will have the bragging rights at the end of this, and somebody won't. ... Now it just comes down to playing golf, because obviously no one will [pair] us together. So we've got to do it on our own."

Fans will get to watch these two go head-to-head in a fun-filled and likely tense charity game Friday. The Match 5 will be televised on TNT, TBS, TruTV and HLN, with live-streaming available on TNTDrama.com and the Bleacher Report app.

                             

The Match 5

Who: Bryson DeChambeau vs. Brooks Koepka

Where: Wynn Golf Club, Las Vegas

When: Friday, November 26 at 4 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: TNT, TBS, TruTV, HLN, B/R app and TNTDrama.com

       

It’ll be settled on November 26th. #thematch #capitalonesthematch pic.twitter.com/PM3tsRThgd

— Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondech) November 7, 2021

Rules Information and Preview

Fans familiar with previous iterations of The Match should have a good idea of how things will work. While other editions have featured doubles play, the original battle between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson was one-on-one.

It will be the same Friday, when Koepka and DeChambeau will compete to shoot the lowest score on each hole. The winner of each hole will receive a point, and the two will split the point in the event of a tie. Whoever has the most points after 12 holes will be declared the winner.

Why 12 holes instead of 18? According to Kevin Cunningham of Golf.com, Koepka is rumored to have requested the abridged format. Whether or not that's accurate, he seems happy about the shorter competition.

"Playing 12 holes is nice. I mean it's better than playing 18 holes with Bryson," Koepka recently said in an interview with Mickelson. "Anything to spend less time with him I'm happy to do."

There is no cash prize on the line for the two rivals as there was when Mickelson took on Woods. Instead, the even will be used to raise money for charity, as a Warner Media press release detailed:

"Donations made as part of the Nov. 26 event will benefit APGA Tour (Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour) and Feeding America ®, in addition to DeChambeau contributing to Shriner's Hospital and Koepka donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. WarnerMedia and the golfers will tee things off with a charitable donation of 3.75 million meals to Feeding America."

DeChambeau and Koepka will have the opportunity to further aid their charities of choice via individual-hole challenges that will be featured on Holes 3, 6, 7, 9 and 11. There are also $2 million donations in play for hole-in-one shots on Holes 3, 9 and 11. A full list of hole challenges can be found here.

While this is first and foremost a charity event, don't expect the pair to shy away from the trash talk. Both will be mic'd up during the event, giving fans an inside look at their rivalry.

There should be some quality golf too, as DeChambeau and Koepka are two of the best in the business. Both men are ranked inside the top 16 of the Official World Golf Rankings, and they have a combined five majors on their collective resume.

There should be a little something for every fan during the broadcast, which will feature Mickelson and The Match 3 competitor Charles Barkley. Play-by-play will be provided by Brian Anderson, while Amanda Balionis will serve as the on-course reporter.

On Sunday, Tiger Woods posted video of himself swinging a golf club, an encouraging sign for his recovery from leg injuries following a car crash in February.

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

Later on Sunday, Phil Mickelson said he was happy to see Woods getting some swings in again:

As I’m hanging in Montana, it’s great to see Tiger swinging a golf club again. I know he can’t stand me holding a single record so I’m guessing HE wants to be the oldest to ever win a major. I’ll just say this. BRING IT!

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) November 21, 2021

The 45-year-old Woods hasn't played since November 2020 at the Masters.

It's been unclear whether Woods would retire after his car crash or attempt a comeback, though Justin Thomas said earlier in November it would be the latter.

"I know that he's going to try," Thomas said during the No Laying Up podcast. "I don't see him ever playing if he can't play well. He doesn't strike me as a guy who's played at home and he's shooting a bunch of 75s and 76s and he's like, 'OK, I'm gonna give Augusta a try this year.' That's not really gonna be him, at least from my understanding, what I know of him."

Tiger Woods is officially getting back into the swing of things.

The 15-time major champion shared a video of him swinging a club Sunday, the first known video of him on a golf course since his February car accident that led to severe leg injuries.

Making progress pic.twitter.com/sVQkxEHJmq

— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) November 21, 2021

Woods has not played competitive golf since the 2020 Masters Tournament last November. He underwent a fifth back operation in December and then was involved in a one-car accident two months later that led to him suffering compound fractures in both of his legs and other non-life-threatening injuries.

Woods was wearing a compression sock on his right leg in the video, which is meant to stimulate blood flow to the area. 

It's unclear whether Woods will ever play professional golf again, but it appears he's going to give a comeback a shot. 

Davis Love III, who is serving as the United States captain for the 2022 Presidents Cup, said that Tiger Woods can have any role he chooses for the tournament.

Love spoke with reporters Tuesday at the RSM Classic, which is set to begin Thursday from Sea Island, Georgia.

"It would have been a great captaincy for Tiger to continue on," Love said, referring to Woods choosing not to continue as U.S. captain after the 2019 Presidents Cup.

"At the time we were discussing it, he said, 'No, I'm playing really good. I'm gonna make the team, and I enjoyed Australia being playing captain, but I want to be a player on the team.'

"So his role is whatever his role wants to be. If Tiger calls me up and says, 'Hey, you're kicked out, I'm taking over'—that's Tiger's role. If he wants to be an assistant, you know ... I would hope that he comes back and starts playing and can make that a goal, to be on the team."

It's unclear whether Woods would be healthy and in form to play in the tournament, which is scheduled for September 2022.

Woods suffered comminuted open fractures to both the tibia and fibula in his right leg in a car crash last February.

He also suffered a concussion,  jaw lacerations, bruised rib cages and a possible right ankle injury, per the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department incident report.

There haven't been any official updates of late regarding Woods' health, although Justin Thomas recently provided a few remarks to the No Laying Up podcast (h/t Golf Channel).

Thomas said Woods was "doing well, especially all things considered."

"It's groundhog day—every day is exactly the same for him. He's able to be a dad again, which is most important," Thomas said.

"He's still his sarcastic a-hole self, so nothing's really changed there. So I'm glad to see he's as chipper as always."

Even if Woods doesn't play, he could serve as an assistant captain to Love, who will look to lead Team USA to victory at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event is scheduled to begin on Sept. 22.

While Tiger Woods hasn't publicly addressed when he might return to the PGA Tour, at least one of his friends on the circuit has an idea of what it would take to get the 15-time major champion back on the fairways. 

Appearing on the No Laying Up podcast (h/t ESPN's Bob Harig), Justin Thomas said he can't see Woods ever playing again if he's unable to return to a decent standard 

"I don't see him ever playing if he can't play well," Thomas explained. "He doesn't strike me as a guy who's played at home and he's shooting a bunch of 75s and 76s and he's like 'OK, I'm gonna give Augusta a try this year.' That's not really gonna be him, at least from my understanding, what I know of him."

Woods was involved in a single-car accident on Feb. 23 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. He announced on Twitter that he had to undergo "a long surgical procedure" to repair the damage in his right leg, including a compound fracture to his tibia and a fractured fibula. 

Last month, TMZ Sports reported Woods was seen walking without crutches or a limp at a junior golf tournament in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where he was watching his son, Charlie, play. 

Per Steve Helling and Lindsay Kimble of PEOPLE Magazine, Woods has "made a remarkable recovery in the past few months" and it's been "even more significant lately."

Helling and Kimble noted that Woods has "a timeframe in his head" when he wants to return, but he's not making it public.

Woods' last appearance in a PGA Tour event was at the Masters in November 2020. He finished 38th in the tournament. 

The 2021-22 PGA Tour schedule began in September. Woods annually hosts the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, which will be played from Dec. 2-5. He has played in the tournament each of the last three years that it has been held.    

Sportico released its list of the 25 highest-paid athletes of all time Thursday, and it is headlined by Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.

Based on career earnings adjusted for inflation, Jordan and Woods are the only two athletes to earn at least $2 billion.

Jordan leads the way with $2.62 billion thanks largely to the $1 billion in royalties Nike has paid him since he retired in 2003, while Woods has earned $2.1 billion, also benefiting from a longtime Nike partnership.

Of the 25 athletes on the list, 12 of them have earned at least $1 billion since turning pro. They are as follows:

1. Michael Jordan: $2.62 billion

2. Tiger Woods: $2.1 billion

3. Arnold Palmer: $1.5 billion

4. Jack Nicklaus: $1.38 billion

5. Cristiano Ronaldo: $1.24 billion

6. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: $1.2 billion

7. LeBron James: $1.17 billion

8. Lionel Messi: $1.14 billion

9. Michael Schumacher: $1.13 billion

10. Roger Federer: $1.12 billion

11. Phil Mickelson: $1.08 billion

12. David Beckham: $1.05 billion

Golf appears to be the most lucrative sport, as four golfers—Woods, Palmer, Nicklaus and Mickelson—cracked the top 12.

Soccer isn't far behind with Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Beckham all making the top 12 as well.

Late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant came in at 13th on the list at $930 million, just short of the $1 billion mark.

Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen noted that Bryant's estate recently netted $400 million because of the sale of BodyArmor to Coca-Cola. Bryant would have gotten over the $1 billion threshold had that sale been applied, but Bryant's earnings were only counted until his untimely death in January 2020 for the purposes of the list.

The NBA had strong representation on the list overall with Jordan, James, Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal ($870 million) and Kevin Durant ($625 million) all in the top 25.

Boxing (Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya) and auto racing (Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Jeff Gordon) are among the other sports with at least three representatives on the list.

Major League Baseball only placed two athletes on the list in the form of former New York Yankees teammates Alex Rodriguez ($650 million) and Derek Jeter ($555 million).

Despite being the most popular and profitable sports league in the United States, the NFL only has one player on the list—former Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who sold his stake in 31 Papa John's franchises in 2018.

No female athletes made it inside the top 25, and Badenhausen noted that tennis legend Serena Williams was tops among female athletes with career earnings of $480 million, which placed her just outside the top 40.